Ayahuasca Retreat Reviews — Helping You Stay Safe with 5,000+ Independent Reviews
While living in the Southeastern Peruvian Andes and Amazon for 22 years, the co-founder leading practitioner Jessica has been trained and is working with Ayahuasca in the Shipibo tradition. She is certified as an “Onanya” (Ayahuasca master) by the School for Traditional Shipibo Medicine in Pucallpa and member of its advisory board.
A former Manu National Park rainforest guide, she does ongoing healing work requested by the indigenous people of the region. As a traditional practitioner she regularly participates in international conferences.
As a woman and mother, she is highly experienced in assisting people in bringing about positive life change by very practical and down-to-Earth means. She organizes and takes small groups of Westerners (2 to 5 persons) on 7-day-long retreats to “Parign Hak” (Grandma´s Home), a unique initiative of Manu´s indigenous Harakbut people to host her retreats, located in the mountain rainforest adjacent to Manu National Park, where she provides a culturally adapted healing and cleansing process that consists of traditional plant baths and three ceremonies in Ayahuasca´s natural home, combined with an intimate immersion into Harakbut culture.
Other local healer are usually on site and participants may be brought together in ceremony with Harakbut community people in an attempt to not only facilitate integral healing for all ceremony participants, but also to foster mutual cultural understanding.
As recommended by the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service (ICEERS), all participants go through an integral process of selection, preparation, ceremonies and integration. This process includes a pre-ceremonial information package, a previous personal interview, traditional dietary restrictions, integration circles, further one-to-one integration interviews in between ceremonies and availability for further consultations for as long as necessary after the third ceremony.
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kmlafleur
April 3, 2019 at 5:02 pmMy time at Parign Hak was one of the most transformative and profound experiences of my life. It has now been 5 months on from the retreat I attended and I feel I can just now properly write a testimonial as I’m still unpacking the power and wonder of this retreat! I dare say I’ll never be the same.
Before this retreat I had not experienced Ayahuasca, or any psychedelic, before. I chose Parign Hak because, as far as I could tell (I didn’t have a personal referral) it would be an intimate and supportive environment in which to experience this medicine for the first time. Well, I couldn’t have been more right. I felt such warmth, support, and love from everyone involved – and I’m sure the experience was more powerful because of this setting.
Some of the things I particularly loved about my time at Parign Hak:
*The small retreat group. I really got to know the other retreat members, and they me. I felt supported by them and I am sure this feeling of safety and familiarity allowed all of us to have deeper experiences.
*The food was simple, flavorful, and delicious! I think the secret ingredient was the hands that made it – thank you Steve and Gloria!
*The cultural exchange with the Harakbut people was so meaningful for me. Learning about their history and traditions (even experiencing some firsthand) provided a whole other layer to the experience.
*The ceremonial hut and its location were magical
Jessica is a talented and immensely knowledgeable shaman. I felt completely safe in her hands and still can’t quite believe how lucky I am to have found her.
The family of Parign Hak (Vicky, Alberto, Steve, Vanessa, and Gloria) are truly special people. You feel such love and acceptance from them the instant you set foot on their land. They, too, have experienced the power and healing of Ayahuasca through Jessica’s ceremonies and have offered their home and land for all of us to come and experience the same.
I had set an intention (not expectation, but intention) before embarking on my journey to experience Ayahuasca at Parign Hak and I can say, without question, that my intention – and then some – was fulfilled. The entire experience will be in my heart forever.
shadowcat
February 27, 2019 at 2:03 pmParign Hak is not JUST an Ayahuasca retreat. It’s arguably the most unique and respectful cultural experience you can have, if you truly want to learn about indigenous Amazonian peoples and jungle life. The week I spent there was filled with immersive lessons in ethnobotany and anthropology, tasting traditional Harakbut food, getting Wachiperi tobacco snuff blown up my nose, and listening to ancient Matsigenka songs. Parign Hak, has not only helped me connect with Ayahuasca (Jessica’s work is unparalleled). It also helped me deeply connect to the Amazon rainforest itself and to the people living there. This was truly an experience unlike anything I could have imagined. Drinking Ayahuasca in this unique context really helped me integrate my experience, and gave me a better understanding of where the medicine originated from, and how it’s been traditionally used. I felt safe and taken care of every step of the way, and the strong maternal presence at the center echos the spirit of “The Grandmother”. This center truly works to give back to the indigenous people in the region, providing the local communities with life-changing access to traditional medicine, as well as giving them an outlet to share their stories with open-minded visitors from around the globe. If you care about a reciprocal relationship with Amazonian peoples and the jungle itself, Parign Hak is THE place to go.
Oamaenoe
January 22, 2019 at 8:39 pmChanged my life! So incredibly grateful! If you are lucky enough to access this remarkable unequalled experience then you will be blessed. Jessica Bertram, the Ayahuasquera, rainforest guide and cultural facilitator of Parign Hak has a wealth of knowledge and remarkable skill. She gracefully facilitates the interaction of cultures, healing practice and environment in a way that is digestible and completely accessible to participants. Parign Hak is set in a fabulously beautiful jungle hosting a cornucopia of plant, animal and insect life. It is absolutely breathtaking and stimulating. My eyes and senses danced from one delight to the next. Victoria, Alberto, Steve, Gloria and Goyo (howler monkey delight), the family hosts of Parign Hak, are deep souled people with their own remarkable group and individual skills. Also, the food was local, traditionally harvested and prepared and absolutely delicious. This center hosts small, intimate groups which allows for proper assistance and integration on all levels, and full personal healing potential. Having a female Ayahuasquera added to my strong sense of safety as a female participant. Highly recommended!!
KerloTech
January 20, 2019 at 2:53 pmI finished my retreat with Parign Hak about a week ago now and I’m extremely happy with my experience with them. Not only with the attention and care they provided during the retreat and but also after the retreat with integration
Immediately you are welcomed in like family when you arrive at the Parign Hak grounds. Vicki, Alberto and Steve are the local Harakbut peoples that own and run the retreat and it’s great to know that the money being spent is going straight back to the community. I had never done Ayahuasca before and they provided a safe and secure environment both in and outside of ceremony.
Jessica is the shaman for the retreat and I was BLOWN AWAY by her commitment to each and every one of the attendees, by her integrity when it comes to the practice of ayahuasca, and by her skill and power during the ceremony. She is friendly and accessible throughout the retreat for your questions and post retreat for integration work.
Also, there’s more than just Ayahuasca ceremonies with Parign Hak. I learned a lot about plant medicine, plant communication, how to identify plants with potential medicinal qualities, natural insect repellents, dyes, food sources and more! You will definitely improve your connection with nature on these special jungle hikes.
Alberto shared some of the cultural traditions of the Harakbut peoples of the area that have been passed down through generations by his father to him. He showed us how to use some traditional tools and also how to harvest material to make bow and arrows. The traditional food that is prepared for meals is simple yet delicious! Perfect fuel for your day no matter what’s in store.
Understand that this is a no nonsense ayahuasca retreat in the jungle following the shipibo tradition. There’s no yoga, there’s no spa treatments, there’s no air conditioning or running water, but there is lots of love and respect for you as a person and a massive amount love and respect for indigenous cultures and nature.
You will not be sorry with going on a retreat with Parign Hak!
freedomtopark
January 17, 2019 at 9:31 amThank goodness for Jessica and Kat. Even without the ayahuasca ceremonies, the experience changed my perspective, especially hearing from Alberto and Vicky. My jiu jitsu reached another level from how calm I am under pressure, and my golf game has never been better, because I now get out of my own way. If you’re serious about working with Mother Ayahuasca, this is where you can meet her.